The present invention pertains to roller operated systems, and, in particular, to mounting assemblies for rollers of such systems.
Projection screen systems in numerous forms are gaining frequent application in a variety of venues, including conference rooms in office buildings and home entertainment systems. Many such systems include an electrical motor that powers the raising and lowering of the screen relative to a housing that holds the screen mounting roller. The projection screen either winds on the roller or unwinds from the roller depending on the direction of rotation of the motor. Projection screen systems of this type frequently are completely installed into a building or structure at one time. During this installation process, an electrician is required to hardwire a power conduit within the structure to the projection screen system. The electrician then electrically connects the exposed wire leads of the power cord extending from the motor to this power conduit, and manipulates these electrical connections into a junction box mounted within the housing. One shortcoming of this one time system installation process is that the installed projection screen may be subjected to dust, dirt and other risks of damage that are inherent in being located in a construction zone for potentially long periods of time. However, installing the projection screen housing to the structure during a first stage of construction and then the projection screen during a subsequent stage of construction may be cost prohibitive. In particular, hiring an electrician to return to the building to wire the motor to the power conduit already installed by an electrician during building construction may increase installation costs appreciably.
Another shortcoming of many projection screen systems is the difficulty or inconvenience of properly positioning the projection screen within a room in which it is to be viewed. On occasion, whether it be due to an incorrect measurement during installation or a properly performed installation into a room that is subsequently altered before construction is finished, a person who lowers the screen for use may discover the screen to be off-center or improperly positioned within the room. For projection screen systems that support the screen mounting roller at the housing end caps, longitudinal adjustments of the screen may require the entire housing be moved to adjust the projection screen positioning. Other known systems of the type that employ roller mounting brackets that are attached with screws to the housing do allow the position of the roller to be adjusted without moving the system housing. However, this adjustment operation, as well as the process of initially installing the screen mounting roller, may be awkward and difficult for an installer to perform. In particular, this process requires the installer to hold the roller mounting brackets in place, typically above his or her head, while the brackets are initially attached, or detached and reattached in situations where a change in screen positioning is desired.
Another problem with some projection screen systems is that their construction frequently leaves little margin for error in the installation process. For example, if the housing is initially installed backwards with the wrong part of the housing facing into the room in which the projection screen is to be used, the housing must be removed, turned around and reinstalled. In addition, on occasion when the fully assembled system is operated and the screen is lowered, it may be discovered that the projection screen is too close to the wall to clear any artwork displayed on that wall. Even if that projection screen was installed to roll off the back of the roller within the housing, the roller typically is not capable of being quickly removed and reinstalled to allow the screen to roll off the front edge of the roller. This shortcoming is because the closure panel that partially blocks off the underside opening of the housing may not be readily installable to the back wall of the housing instead of the front wall where the panel was initially installed. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system that overcomes these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention provides a roller operated system, such as a projection screen system, that is installable in two stages such that portions of the system may be installed at different times during construction. A housing and roller mounting brackets are provided that are cooperatively shaped to enable the brackets to be temporarily installed to the housing without fasteners, as well as enable the brackets to be moved along the length of the housing to adjust the position of the roller. The housing is further designed in conjunction with the bottom closure panel to allow the panel to be attached to either the forward or rearward side wall of the housing, thereby affording the system the capability to be modified to meet the requirements of a given application.
In one form thereof, the present invention provides a mounting assembly for a projection screen windable on a roller including a housing and a plurality of roller holding brackets. The housing includes a plurality of walls and defines an interior volume for installation of the roller. The housing also includes at least one attachment lip overlaying a portion of one of the plurality of walls, wherein the attachment lip is in spaced apart relationship with the wall portion to define an insertion space. Each of the roller holding brackets includes at least one attachment lug complementarily structured for engagement with the at least one attachment lip. Each of the brackets is rotatable between first and second orientations, wherein each of the at least one attachment lug is structured and arranged to reside within the insertion space and engage the at least one attachment lip to mount its respective bracket to the housing when that bracket is arranged in the first orientation, and wherein each of the at least one attachment lug is structured and arranged to be clear of the insertion space and disengaged from the at least one attachment lip to permit removal of its respective bracket from the housing when that bracket is arranged in the second orientation.
In still another form thereof, the present invention provides a housing for a projection screen system including a projection screen windable on a roller. The housing includes a longitudinally extending first side wall, a longitudinally extending second side wall in spaced apart relationship with the first side wall, and a top member interconnecting the first and second side walls. The top member, the first side wall and the second side wall define an interior volume in which the roller is positionable. The housing also includes a longitudinally extending bottom closure panel sized to partially block a bottom facing opening between the first and second side walls and provide a gap for passage of the projection screen unwinding from the roller, wherein the closure panel includes an attachment module. Each of the bottom portions of the first and second side walls includes an attachment member complementarily structured for engagement with the closure panel attachment module, whereby the closure panel is removably mountable to either of the first and second side walls.
One advantage of the present invention is that it allows the housing of a projection screen system and the roller mounted projection screen to be installed at different stages of construction without requiring the installer of the screen to possess any electrical wiring expertise.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the roller mounted projection screen can be moved longitudinally to the left and to the right after installation has initially been made to properly locate the screen.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the roller mounting brackets may be temporarily secured to the housing without additional fasteners to facilitate screen installation.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the housing allows mounting of a bottom closure panel on either the front or back housing sides so as to provide suitable openings permitting the projection screen to roll off either the front or back of the roller.